The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-07-23
PHILADELPHIA Letter.

FHHddetpHt0 LetteT.
Society has been showing a good
deal of interest in the marriage of two
maidens of rich Quaker families. The
one was made wife with all the simplici-
ty of ceremonial characteristic of the
disciples of Fox in the old days. The
wedding of the other was great fash
ionable crush, with abundance to eat
and to drink and great show of gowns
and jewels.
The father of the first girl has mil
lion or two made in the shipping trade
and he could have made great splurge
had he chosen. But he still has pro-
found regard for the Book of Disci-
pline, and his child was mated as decor
ously as her mother had been before
her. To be sure, there was some lati-
tude as to the color and make of the
gown, and there were signs of festival
here and there in mild way. 1t was
an evening wedding at the brides
house. The coming of the event had
aiready bcon in meeting,
and no objection was made, though the
groom himself was not any too strict
in observance of the society's rule
But that does not count for as much
nowadays as it used to, and the match
was considered an excellent one all
around. The bride and groom, having
made ready, came down into the par
lor-very plainly furnished with stiff
backed black mohair chairs all sitting
primly around the walls. The bride
wore white silk gown, not too long in
the train, with tulle vail and orange
blossoms. The groom was in the reg
ulation evening dress. The relatives
and other invited guests, and the i'm
mediate families of both the parties,
of course, were all assembled. The
bride and groom sat down for a few
moments on chairs placed for them over
at the head of the room. Not a soul
spoke till the groom, rising, extended
his hand to the bride and raised her
up. And there before the people he
plighted her his troth, and she professed
her love for him, and gave herself to be
his wife, and promised to love and
obey him for all her days. Then the
marriage contract was produced and
the groom and bride signed. Then the
parents put their names there and all
the rest did the same, till the paper was
quite full. After that there was some
feasting; tea and buns, and cold meats,
some confections, and so on, were
served. But, though there was no loud
laughing, no boisterousness at all, no
compliments, and everybody was 'thee,
or Thomas, or John, or plain Jones'
and nobody tried to lord it ostentatious-
ly over the servants, yet there was
vast deal of joy shown in the shining
eyes and in the sweet smiles, and a
great deal of true gentility manifest in
the appearance and behavior of the COM
pany. This was an 'old-fashioned,
wedding, and the people for the most
part 'old style Friends who are not
very numerous now, even in the 'Qua-
ker City, But the few among the
guests who were not members of the
society found the occasion delicious
its plainness and a vast deal more en-
joyable than most of the new style
crushes.
The other Quaker maiden was the
chief figure in splendidly dressed
throng. Two thousand people had
been asked to her wedding, which took
place at the country place of her moth
er, some fifteen miles out. The elder
woman has some $4,000, 900. Her
daughter came out last autumn, and
she gave round of costly entertain
ments in the girls honor. So many
people in society were thus placed un-
der obligations that much larger pro-
portion of the cards than usual were ac-
cepted. The family are Episcopalians
in these late days, and the ceremony
was performed at the picturesque look
ing stone church about mile and
half from the house. After the wedding
there was fete champetre at the resi-
dence of the brides mother, with great
gossiping and drinking out on the lawn.
The bride wore something altogether
new in the way of wedding clothes.-
Her gown was made in the classic style,
clinging close to her fine figure. 1t was
of Bengaline silk, moderately decollete,
with short sleeves. The skirt was alto
gether without trimming save the edge,
which was adorned with silver and
pearls. A broad girdle encircled the
waist and fell in front quite to the hem
of the dress. The bridesmaids, of
whom there were eight, were in white
crepe, with big hats trimmed with wild
flowers. The wealthy mother of the
bride was herself brought up in accor-
dance with the rules of the Society OF
Friends, and in her youth wore trim
drab gown and poke bonnet. Her own
mother, who is still living, continues
to be protesting member of the socie-
ty, dresses in approved simplicity, and
says thee to every one.